by katha » Aug 10th, '10, 09:20
I really, really disagree that this video is glorifying anything. Just because some in the mainstream media are thick and take everything literally and as an endorsement because it doesn't explicitly say "Don't try this at home" doesn't mean that they are right.
In the last verse he chases her, hits her and then they and the house go up in flames! How is that positive imagery? The artists are not responsible for the lack of reading/listening/media comprehension in some quarters. It's not their duty to pander to the lowest common denominator because some people might not get it. Guess what, many people are stupid and don't get what Eminem does in general.
And if someone decides that setting your girlfriend on fire is romantic or that the endless fighting, crying and screaming in the video is romantic, then chances are that they had a few screws loose to begin with.
Erm, sorry for the rant, but I don't believe that Eminem and Rihanna were obligated to make an explicit PSA on domestic violence when the song is an inside perspective on what it is like to be trapped in such a relationship. IMO the video shows this feeling of desperation, co-depence, shame and anger quite well for the most part.